Why Islam is my choice — Page 19
19 messenger of All ā h, it felt a little strange, but when I saw the love the Muslims displayed for him and how they gave life to his teachings, it immediately became clear to me that Isl ā m had to be the right path for the humanity. The conclusion, I drew from this, was that Isl ā m had taken all the previous teachings and presented them in their purest form: That Isl ā m presented the truth. I must narrate another incident that deeply affected me. I once went to visit Bro. Ḥ ameed in his house. There I first saw a prayer book on his desk and then I saw three men, one of them was Ṣū f ī Mu ṭī ‘-ur-Ra ḥ m ā n Beng ā l ī (the then missionary of New York region), performing Ṣ al ā t together. When I saw the three of them pray in unison, I realized that this was a true brotherhood. It was a real pretty sight and that left an everlasting mark on me. Many other incidents took place during those days that brought me closer to Isl ā m. Bro. Ḥ ameed used to take me to the prisons where we would preach to the inmates. I was not sure if he was doing the right thing, but after a while it became clear that Isl ā m’s purpose was to reform the people, no matter what their status was, and bring them closer to God. (Incidentally, it was during. this time that I met Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X. ) When incidents like these continued to occur, I could no longer hold back my desire to accept Isl ā m. Eventually, I accepted Isl ā m through Bro. ‘Al ī Mujtab ā. He gladly brought me to Bro. Ḥ ameed and I filled out a form, thus, changing my faith. For most people, this transition might have presented a problem, but for me it was comparatively easy. The Church that I used to go to in Boston consisted of mostly Harvard faculty and students from all walks of life. Therefore, their teaching about Jesus’ divinity was not very rigid. It was more of a theological school in Christian studies than a devout, worshipping mission. They did not lay too